The South Carolina Higher Education Foundation’s Know2 program
aims to sharply increase educational achievement in our state by
changing attitudes about education such that all of our citizens
know2 things:

Being educated is essential for economic success and an
improved quality of life; and

Being educated is possible for me, my family, and my
community.

Program Overview

A strong and growing body of research in the field of education
indicates that an individual’s
mindset towards
education has as much influence, if not more, over his or her
educational success and the level of educational attainment
ultimately reached, as natural ability or any number of in-school
interventions may have.The prevalence of a “limited educational mindset”—in which
people believe that education isn’t important for success and a
high quality of life and/or that they and people like them don’t
have the ability to be successful learners—is at the heart of our
communities’ struggles to improve educational attainment levels
across the country.

To this end, the SC-HEF has initiated three pilot programs across
South Carolina, located in Marlboro County, Cherokee County, and
Beaufort County. The SC-HEF
facilitates collaboration across all three pilot projects, works
to connect each project to critical resources at the state and
national level, provides ongoing programmatic guidance, and
develops partnerships and strategies to bring the Know2 concept to
other areas of the state.A detailed description of the Know2 program, including
references to key research, can be accessed
here.

Senator Tim Scott speaking to a crowd of several hundred at
Cherokee County Know2's "Lift-Off" Celebration (left).
Graduating high school seniors parade through the elementary
schools on Hilton Head Island as part of Know2 Beaufort County's
efforts to develop a "college bound identity" among its youth
(right).